Etymology of the English word motive
the English word
motivederived from the Old French word
motifderived from the Latin word
motivus (stirred; moved)
derived from the Latin word
movere (move, stir, agitate)
derived from the Proto-Indo-European root
*meuə-derived from the Latin word
motare (set in motion, shake, stir)
Date
The earliest known usage of motive in English dates from the 14th century.
Derivations in English
automotive,
electromotive,
motivate,
motivation,
motivity,
thermomotiveCognates
Catalan
motiu, Dutch
motief, French
motif, German
Motiv, Icelandic
mótíf, Italian
motivo, Lithuanian
motyvas, Polish
motyw, Russian
мoтив, Swedish
motiv, Yiddish
motivUsage
Word found in Modern English
